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There is a great deal of geographical variation in the frequ [#permalink]
10 Jul 2003, 18:55

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Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

49%(02:54) correct
51%(04:17) wrong based on 920 sessions

Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, 2nd Edition

Practice QuestionQuestion No.: 55Page: 138Difficulty:

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the frequency of many surgical procedures тАУ up to tenfold variation per hundred thousand between different areas in the numbers of hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies.

To support a conclusion that much of the variation is due to unnecessary surgical procedure, it would be most important to establish which of the following ?

A)A local board of review to each hospital examines the records of every operation to determine whether the surgical procedure was necessary.B)The variation is unrelated to factors (other than the surgical procedures themselves) that influence the incidence of diseases for which surgery might be considered.C)There are several categories of surgical procedure (other than hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies) that are often performed unnecessarily.D)For certain surgical procedures, it is difficult to determine after the operation whether the procedures were necessary or whether alternative treatment would have succeeded.E)With respect to how often they are performed unnecessarily, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies are representative of surgical procedures in general.

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the [#permalink]
23 Dec 2004, 07:15

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the frequency of many surgical proceduresâ€”up to tenfold variation per hundred thousand between different areas in the numbers of hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies.
To support a conclusion that much of the variation is due to unnecessary surgical procedures, it would be most important to establish which of the following?
(A) A local board of review at each hospital examines the records of every operation to determine whether the surgical procedure was necessary.
(B) The variation is unrelated to factors (other than the surgical procedures themselves) that influence the incidence of diseases for which surgery might be considered.
(C) There are several categories of surgical procedure (other than hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies) that are often performed unnecessarily.
(D) For certain surgical procedures, it is difficult to determine after the operation whether the procedures were necessary or whether alternative treatment would have succeeded.
(E) With respect to how often they are performed unnecessarily, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies are representative of surgical procedures in general.

Highlight below
To establish that much of the variation is due to unnecessary surgical procedures, it is necessary to eliminate the possibility that the geographical variation reflects variation in the incidence of disease treated with these procedures. Choice B, if established, would eliminate this possibility and is thus the best answer. Review boards (choice A) would provide some control against unnecessary procedures, so choice A would, if anything, tell against the suggested conclusion. Neither choice C nor choice E bears on the conclusion, since neither the conclusion nor the cited geographical variation involves procedures are of the kind choice Ddescribes, the difficulty of determining an individual operationâ€™s necessity would merely increase the difficulty of verifying the suggested conclusion.

I don't understand this problem: what is the main point here? And what we try to break?

Hmmm... I'm not sure I understand your question about breaking. Perhaps if my response doesn't help, you can clarify.

The question states that there is a hypothesis that some doctors are performing a certain few types of surgery unecessarily. The question asks you to determine what would need to be known before it could be established that, essentially, there is something fishy going on. So, the first thing you need to look at (be a researcher here) is whether there is the potential for alternate causality. I would think an obvious consideration would be whether there is some other cause for the rash of certain types of illness (and hence the rash of need for those certain surgeries) in geographically dispersed areas. That's what answer choice (B) states.

this is a tricky question, what the Author is using a negetive of negetive to arrive at positive. In other words instead of stating what weakens the statement he is asking you what strengthens the conclusion that proves the statement in the question wrong.

Here by proving that surgical procedures performed were un related to factors one can prove that surgery was not really dependent on the geographic location hence could be un necessary. _________________

Let me take a chance at this. I did this question a while back and got it wrong at first without an explanation

My choice this time B

Elimination
A - basically weaken the suggested conclusion. If a board review, then it should be necessary
C - out of scope
D - if the opeation is diffuclt to assess and determine, then we can never be sure. If we cannot be sure, it won't strengthen the argument
E - out of scope and somewhat a pure statement rather than argument

By the way, is this a LSAT question. What is the source. This type are very tricky. Perhaps we can put together a list for the Club.

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the [#permalink]
12 Apr 2005, 05:31

1

This post wasBOOKMARKED

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the frequency of many surgical procedures - up to tenfold variation per hundred thousand people between different areas in the numbers of hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies.

To support a conclusion that much of the variation is due to unneccesary surgical procedures, it would be most important to establish which of the following?

A: A local board of review at each hospital examines the records of every operation to detemine whether the surgical procedure was neccesary.
B: The variation is unrelated to factors(other than the surgical procedures themselves) that influence the incidence of diseases for which surgery might be considered.
C: There are several categories of surgical procedure(other than hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies) that are often performed unneccesarily.
D: For certain surgical procedures, it is difficult to determine after the operation whether the procedures were necessary or whether alternative treatment would have succeeded.
E: With respect to how often they are performed unneccesarily, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies are representative of surgical procedures in general. _________________

1) There is a great deal of geographical variation in the frequency of many surgical procedures

2) Up to tenfold variation per hundred thousand people between different areas in the numbers of hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies.

Conclusion: Variation is due to unnecessary surgical procedures

A: A local board of review at each hospital examines the records of every operation to detemine whether the surgical procedure was neccesary.
- Does not tells us that redundant surgical procedures cause variations

B: The variation is unrelated to factors(other than the surgical procedures themselves) that influence the incidence of diseases for which surgery might be considered.
- Explains that variation is due to the surgical procedures alone and nothing else

C: There are several categories of surgical procedure(other than hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies) that are often performed unneccesarily.
- Does not explain the conclusion

D: For certain surgical procedures, it is difficult to determine after the operation whether the procedures were necessary or whether alternative treatment would have succeeded.
- Not useful

E: With respect to how often they are performed unneccesarily, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies are representative of surgical procedures in general.
- Not useful

There is a great deal of geographical varation in the [#permalink]
14 Sep 2005, 09:58

There is a great deal of geographical varation in the frequency of many surgical procedures - up to tenfold varation per hundred thousand people between different areas in the numbers of hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies.

To support a conclusion that much of the varation is due to unnecessary surgical procedures, it would be most important to establish which of the following?

a) A local board of review at each hospital examines the recored of every operation to determine whether the surgical procedure was necessary.

b) The varation is unrelated to factors (other than the surgical procedures themselves) that influence the incidence of diseases for which surgery might be considered.

c) There are several categories of surgical procedure (other than hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies) that are often performed unnecessarily.

d) For certain surgical procedures, it is difficult to determine after the operation whether the procedures were necessary or whether alternative treatment would have succeeded.

e) With respect to how often they are performed unnecessarily, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies are representative of surgical procedures in general.

To establish that much of the varation is due to unnecessary surgical procedures, it is necessary to eliminate that possibility that the geographical varation reflects varation in the incidence of disease treated with these procedures. Choice B, if established, would eliminate this possibility and is thus the best answer.

Review boards (choice A) would provide some control against unnecessary procedures, so choice A would, if anything, tell again the suggested conclusion. Neither choice C nor choice E bears on the conclusion, since neither the conclusion nor the cited geographical variation involves procedures are of the kind choice D describes, the diffculty of determining an individual operation's necessity would merely increase the difficulty of verifying the suggested conclusion.

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the [#permalink]
14 Mar 2006, 19:49

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the frequency of many surgical proceduresâ€”up to tenfold variation per hundred thousand between different areas in the numbers of hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies.
To support a conclusion that much of the variation is due to unnecessary surgical procedures, it would be most important to establish which of the following?
(A) A local board of review at each hospital examines the records of every operation to determine whether the surgical procedure was necessary.
(B) The variation is unrelated to factors (other than the surgical procedures themselves) that influence the incidence of diseases for which surgery might be considered.
(C) There are several categories of surgical procedure (other than hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies) that are often performed unnecessarily.
(D) For certain surgical procedures, it is difficult to determine after the operation whether the procedures were necessary or whether alternative treatment would have succeeded.
(E) With respect to how often they are performed unnecessarily, hysterectomies, prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies are representative of surgical procedures in general.

gmatclubot

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the
[#permalink]
14 Mar 2006, 19:49